Lavender Orpington
Also known as: Self Blue Orpington
An Orpington in soft, sought-after self-blue (lavender) plumage, with all the cuddly charm that makes Orpingtons such popular pets: big, docile, affectionate, and very cold-hardy. Lavender hens lay about 180-220 brown eggs a year and breed true to color, but they go broody readily, suffer in the heat, and the lavender variety is not APA-recognized for showing.
Figures verified against 3 sources. Ranges reflect variation by strain and individual bird.
At a glance
- Eggs / year
- 180–220
- Egg size
- large
- Purpose
- dual-purpose
- Class
- Large fowl
- Hen weight
- 7–8 lb
- Rooster weight
- 8.5–10 lb
- Starts laying
- 20–28 weeks
- Lifespan
- 8–10 years
- Comb
- single
- Noise
- quiet
- Origin
- England
- Conservation
- Not listed
Egg color: Brown
Temperament & suitability
Appearance
An Orpington in the sought-after self-blue (lavender) color, with soft grey plumage. Breeds true because lavender is recessive.
Varieties
Lavender, also called self-blue, is a popular color produced by the recessive lavender gene, but it is not one of the four APA-recognized Orpington varieties (Buff, Black, White, Blue). It is genetically different from the recognized Blue, and unlike Blue it breeds true.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Beautiful lavender plumage that breeds true
- Same gentle Orpington temperament
- Great family and beginner bird
Cons
- Not APA-recognized as a color
- Heat sensitive
- Lavender gene can bring feather quality issues in some lines
Common questions
Do Lavender Orpingtons breed true?
Yes, lavender is recessive, so two lavenders produce lavender chicks.
Are they different from Buff Orpingtons?
Same breed, different color; behavior and size match the Orpington standard.
When will your Lavender Orpington start laying?
Just got chicks? Enter their hatch date and we’ll estimate the first-egg window for a Lavender Orpington, based on its point of lay of 20–28 weeks. Hens rarely read the calendar, so treat it as a range.
Similar breeds
Sources
Verified 2026-07-06. Lavender (self-blue) is a color variety of the Orpington, not separately APA-recognized in the US. Weights (~8 lb hen, ~10 lb rooster) per Wikipedia (Orpington) and breed guides; ~180-220 brown eggs/yr; point of lay is fairly late, around 20-28 weeks.